Walking on Air
by LadyBaSingSe
Summary: Kataang OneShot. Even though he had been gone for a short amount of time, it seemed like forever and a day to her. She finally realized she couldn't stand being without him, even if it was only for a week.


**A/N: This is my first fan-fic, so please review; compliment OR criticism. Thanks.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of the characters within it.**

**--**

Walking on Air

She waved to the man selling cabbages near the docks as she walked towards the sea's edge, ever so slowly. He grimaced at her, recognizing the face from many past, ironic encounters, all resulting in the loss of his precious stock. She giggled to herself, but didn't take the ugly look to heart. Nothing could give her a feeling of unease or disappointment today.

As she past his stand, she reached the railing that separated her from the calm waters underneath. She exhaled in a deep hum, causing her lips to tingle and she just wanted to laugh like there was no tomorrow. She was so happy, she could hardly contain herself, and her body began slightly jumping up and down, but without parting her feet from the ground below her. She stopped and brought her hand to her lips as if to prepare for an escaped squeal of joy. Instead of laughing, she found herself lightly biting down on her fingernail and her whole body shaking from excitement. What was wrong with her? She usually had so much self control.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Thoughts ran through her head faster than she thought possible and she wrinkled her brow trying to keep them all contained. Then, she smiled, but to no one in particular; just to the wonderful memories ensnared within her head.

* * *

_She watched as his body collapsed and hurdled toward the snowy terrace. All she could think to do was run out and catch him, so, she did. His eyes fluttered and he looked confused, but ecstatic all the same._

"_Come closer..." he muttered, weakly, beckoning her, "I have to ask you something..."_

_She nodded softly in compliance and leaned slightly closer to him._

_Expecting a cry of confusion, or a need for water, or something to help him absorb and understand his surroundings, she was taken aback by his actions._

"_Will you go penguin sledding with me?" He asked excitedly thrusting his eyes open widely and throwing a large goofy smile on his face._

"_Uh... sure!" She replied, happily._

_And that's when their never-ending bond began._

* * *

Lost in her memories, she had hardly realized a large crowd forming outside all gasping and cheering. She wasn't quite sure what had knocked her back into reality, but when she turned around, she glanced at a huge group of people facing the opposite way, looking into the sky.

"Oh my goodness!" she heard one woman shout.

"It can't be!"

"It's really him!" gasped another.

Surely enough, there was a figure in the bright sky. He was riding the air currents on the very glider that was made for him by a master engineer only two months before. It seemed so long ago that they had started the eclipse invasion. She had been so worried he would get hurt or... or... she couldn't bear to think such things. But he wasn't, and he isn't, and even though that first invasion was a failure, she recalls being proud of him. So very proud of him.

Her mind raced yet again, pulling brief memories here and there, clouding her vision. Then she remembered. The kiss. She could never forget such a thing; for it was passionate, but... he was caught up in the moment. He thought he would die. It didn't really mean anything. He was like a brother to her after all, and he wouldn't really be serious about such a thing... would he?

* * *

"_Wha... what if I don't come back?" he said, sternly._

_The words ripped at Katara like a ravenous beast inside trying to escape her binds._

"_Aang... don't say that. Of course you'll-"_

_His lips rescued hers from the reassuring things she was about to say. They just touched. He didn't try anything else, he just kissed her on the lips. Sokka's done that before, right? But he held it. He held it for at least ten seconds, possibly searching for a reaction._

_Maybe he was nervous. He was shaking at the time, so he must have been nervous. Yes. Nervous about the Fire Lord, about Azula, the whole situation. He just... dazed off. Yeah. He forgot to let go. Haha. Accidents happen._

_But then why did she want to keep him there? Why did she want to hold him close? Why did she blush? HE didn't blush, right? He didn't... right?_

* * *

Overcome by her thoughts, she was still joyful. Confused, regretful and lost, yes; but still joyful.

Aang landed on the ground in front of the many fire nation citizens. There were a few earth kingdom people there too, but the majority was fire nation. Several people greeted him, but one little earth kingdom girl ran up to him and hugged him.

"Mr. Avatar, sir?"

He looked down at her and gave her a kind, warm smile.

"Thank you so much!" she said before running back into the crowd.

"Oh great Avatar... do you have any news about the war?" a gentleman asked from the front of the crowd.

"That is exactly why I'm here," he said, matter-of-factly.

The man nodded.

Aang rose his voice to make sure everyone could hear him.

"The prisoners of war being held captive in the palace can no longer be called prisoners of war!" he shouted, happily.

"What are you saying? You're letting them go?" a woman asked, obviously confused by the contorted look on her face.

"No. What I mean is that they are only _prisoners_ now: Fire Lord Zuko has declared this war... over!"

There was cheers and screams, people laughing and chatting about the great news, and others clapping.

Katara had pushed her way through most of the crowd, and spoke.

"Really?" she raved, quite loudly, tears forming in her eyes.

Aang looked at her and stared.

"Katara!" he exclaimed, but stayed rooted to his spot.

Most of the towns folk had stopped their conversations and followed the Avatar's line of sight onto the young 15 year old girl.

She looked around, noticing that the crowd was glancing at her and whispering ferociously. She ignored them and looked back to Aang, whom she ran to and pulled into a tight embrace.

"I've missed you... so... much..." she said choppily into his shoulder.

"I've only been gone for a week," he replied, laughing softly.

"That's too long. Don't ever do that again!"

"But I had to go to that meeting and..." he tried to explain.

"I know, I know, but you're... I... next time I'm coming with you."

"I don't think Fire Lord Zuko would-"

"Zuko? Do you think I care about what he thinks? You're my best friend, Aang- I can't... I don't know how to..." she trailed off.

Aang gave her a stunned look at the words 'best friend', but rapidly substituted it with a more quizzical one.

Everyone was watching intently.

"No, I just mean... he usually has officials and important people and-"

"Are you saying I'm not important?" she fumed, escaping from their elongated hug.

"No, I'm not saying that at all!"

"Sounded like it to me!"

"Katara..."

"You are so... you leave for a week and expect... and I all want to do is come with you and you just tell me I'm not important enough to-"

"Katara, stop. Please. I didn't mean it like that at all. You can come with me, I just don't know if-"

"You don't know if what?" she cut him off as he had done to her.

"I just don't know if you'll have any fun. They aren't very exciting people. You're the only exciting person I know who is both amazing and important all at the same time."

She looked into his eyes and immediately felt guilty.

"Aang, I'm sorry... I've just missed you so much..."

Katara walked back up to him and grasped him into another thick embrace.

"It's okay, Katara. I've missed you too."

She peered into his shining gray eyes once more and saw something she had never seen before, especially not from him. It made her feel warm inside. Full. Safe. Like she was missing a huge part of herself for the longest time and it had just been filled. She felt different in his arms than she did the hug before. For the first time she had truly seen him for what he was. Not Avatar Aang, or a silly kid, or a brother, or even a best friend. She felt something like this before... this feeling reminded her of her first encounter with Jet. But no, she wouldn't compare this to him; the rise, then betrayal, then acceptance and sudden death of Jet was not like this. No where near. This feeling - this agonizingly terrific, unexplainable feeling - this was so much more intense. It was like she was walking on the very air that the person she held so close had learned to master. Walking on air. Dancing on air. Breathing the very element that he was born into. She shuddered, but not because she was scared or embarrassed that so many people were there surrounding them, watching. But because she had just made the most amazing discovery she ever had. _She loved him._

Aang must have noticed the dreaminess in her eyes because he smirked. She took it into account, realizing he had looked at her like that before, a mere two months ago... she remembered how it made her tingle from the inside out, but she found herself returning the smug look. They were dancing and... Aang's voice scattered her silly thoughts away.

"You remember how they were all screaming and cheering earlier?" he whispered into her ear.

"Mmhmm..."

"Let's really give them something to cheer about."

And she found out what the sly look truly intended when he kissed her. It wasn't like she kissed him before- on the cheek, or the forehead, or the hand. And not like he kissed her before either. That light, sweet kiss that he had given her a few months ago was nothing compared to this. He held one hand on her waist and the other in her hair stroking the back of her head lightly. Her arms were around his neck and their lips were locked in an eternal dance; his tongue massaging hers and making the noise that had suddenly erupted from the crowd all disappear. This was pure bliss.

They spoke in unison, but without words:

_'I love you.'_


End file.
